The Last Full Measure

The Last Full Measure
Product information
Type	Short story
Author	Kevin Killiany
Pages	24
Interior Artwork	Robert Atkinson
Publication information
Publisher	BattleCorps
First published	6 June 2006
Content
Era	Civil War era
Timeline	22 November - 7 December 3067

The Last Full Measure is a short story by Kevin Killiany that was published online on BattleCorps on 6 June 2006. It is available as a free download from the site for advertisement purposes, and has also been included in the First Strike anthology in print.

Teaser Text

“

Kevin Killiany brings us to the Terran System for a unique perspective on the Dragoon Assault on Mars

”

Plot summary

The Bonaventure-class corvette Sheridan is an ancient and heavily modified ship serving as a training ship for Word of Blake space crews out of the Military Academy of Aphros. Its weapons are powered-down lasers and "paintball" missiles, and its jump drive has been removed to make room for two full crews of cadets during training flights. Commanded by Precentor Captain Teodore Kopulous, they are on a training voyage in the Sol system when enemy ships jump in for an attack on Mars.

Helplessly witnessing the battle unfold, Kopulos nevertheless moves the Sheridan in to join the fight while his crews jury-rig the lasers to near-weapon power and (unsuccessfully) attempt to fake the flight profile of an Aegis cruiser to draw off attacking ships. In fact, the Sheridan is totally ignored by the attackers. Kopulos eventually orders the crew to abandon ship while he remains aboard, preparing to ram the Sheridan into the enemy flagship.

Featured BattleTech

WarShips

• Aegis (mentioned)
• Bonaventure
• Congress
• Kirishima (mentioned)
• Naga
• Sovetskii Soyuz

DropShips

• Fortress
• Intruder
• Hannibal
• Vengeance

Other

• numerous unidentified spacecraft of a type unknown to the protagonist, launched from Mars (implied to be space-borne Caspar II SDS components)